Home » Egypt » Day 7. Fri 19th September Snorkelling at Hurghada.

A lie in! Today we will spend snorkelling in the Red Sea off Hurghada. SCUBA is also an option, which Ian and Isobel take. I have my PADI certificate with me, but as I have not dived for several years I would have to do a half-day refresher course, so I decide to go with everyone else for a day on the snorkel boat. Jenny, Hugo, Judy and Bev decide to opt out altogether and spend the day in Hurghada. The rest of use catch the minibus service to the harbour.

Day 7. Fri 19th September Snorkelling at Hurghada.

DaveMidgley
2005-10-22 13:32:01

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A lie in! Today we will spend snorkelling in the Red Sea off Hurghada. SCUBA is also an option, which Ian and Isobel take. I have my PADI certificate with me, but as I have not dived for several years I would have to do a half-day refresher course, so I decide to go with everyone else for a day on the snorkel boat. Jenny, Hugo, Judy and Bev decide to opt out altogether and spend the day in Hurghada. The rest of use catch the minibus service to the harbour.
The boats hold 28, but any group over 10 can hire one of their own, and we do so. There are hundreds of these dive boas all around the coast. You can sunbathe on the foredeck, or relax in the shade of the canopy on the upper deck. I am glad that I have brought my own fins, mask and snorkel, as there is a big palaver, reminiscent of the first day of a skiing holiday, as fins that fit and masks that don't leak are sought from a huge box full of equipment.
We have a few complete beginners in the group. Lisa has already decided in Ras Mohammed that she loves it. The two Anne's are not so sure, but with the help of buoyancy aids and a reassuring hand, are game for a go.

This time I have had the forethought to buy a cheap (65 EGP = £6.50) waterproof (to 4M) disposable camera, and enjoy myself immensely duck diving and trying to photograph something more than the fishes' backsides as they hurry away. This excercise is, more than anything, an object lesson in the difficulties of underwater photography, as the photos, when I get them back, are a poor representation of the beautiful underwater world. The colours are drab, and the fish are always too far away (although some judicious adjustments with the computer make the ones shown here significantly better than the actual prints). One lesson learned is that it is well worth paying the extra money for a camera with a flash, as this captures the colours much better. The best results are when Nigel and I swap cameras and take underwater photos of each other.

The snorkelling here is certainly not as good as at Ras Mohammed, and we are unlucky with the weather as there is a stiff 4-5 blowing which limits our choice of diving sites. The first site is pretty good, the second not quite so good. Lunch is provided on board, and after a siesta we move on to the third site. However the wind has risen, and the water is quite cloudy. It is actually becoming rather chilly in the water, and most of us return to the boat fairly quickly. All three sites are very crowded.
By 14:00 we are back on shore with a couple of hours to kill before dinner. I nip into town and discover that the Kodak shop will process my film in one hour (10EGP for developing, 1EGP per print - the camera says 27 exposures but I only get 22, I don't know why). While I wait I find an internet cafe, scan my e-mails and send a few home.
We eat at a restaurant on the shore (I treat myself to yet another huge seafood platter) and saunter back through town. Dave, Hugo and I can't resist a beer before bed (the restaurant, like many in this muslim country, served no alcohol), and then we're off to bed - we have another early start in the morning.